RAPID INCREASE IN BURSARIES

Te Ao Hou, September 1959, Page 47

RAPID INCREASE IN BURSARIES The Maori Purposes Fund Board has over the years made available monies to the Education Department to be disbursed to secondary and university scholars in the furtherance of their education. Out of these monies, scholars can get grants of up to £50 in individual cases. These grants are quite apart from the Maori scholarships provided by the State. Since 1956 the amount made available each year was £3,000 but over the last 3 years the number of applications has steadily mounted as follows: 1956–88 1957–191 1958–263 The number of applications already received in 1959 indicates that a further increase will follow this year, and it is pleasing to record that the Maori Purposes Fund Board has raised its annual allowance to £5,000. Assistance from the Maori Purposes Fund is approved in the following cases: (a) For pupils from areas where no secondary facilities exist locally to enable attendance at approved Post Primary Schools with boarding facilities. (b) To scholarship holders at approved Post Primary Schools with boarding facilities to provide extra assistance with boarding fees, etc. (c) To scholarship or bursary holders attending University to assist further with boarding fees, etc. (d) To enable pupils from poor or broken homes to attend boarding school. N.B.—These could be classified as grants on compassionate grounds. (e) Renewals of assistance granted previously. The increase in the number of applications is due to various causes, the main ones being the influence of Maori Welfare Officers in encouraging students to continue their studies, and to changing economic conditions. All applications are carefully considered and there is no doubt that the assistance has been extremely valuable. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ A new Maori tribal executive district has been formed in Taranaki, including the Parihaka, Rahotu and Te Potaka tribal committee areas. It will be known as the Taranaki Maunga tribal executive district.